Had a chance to take the 5 out to play a few nights ago (just going to the store, dear!) and hit some of my favorite back roads. I've owned the 5 for two years now and really haven't had a chance to test it's limits, at least without a kid or two sliding around in the back.
New Cooper Zeon RS3-A's (215's) on the front, still old Goodyear GT's on back; I wanted to wring out the Coopers and see if they were up to spec. Cool-ish night but clear and mostly dry. This old autocrosser (1st gen RX-7, Ret.) felt the need for speed...
Wow! Sure, the stock shocks/struts are worn-out at 80 thou, the sway bar bushings should (and will) be polyurethaned {euthanized} and the stock except for K&N filter engine is strained by the mass it's pushing but... wow! This car is COOL! Pitched it in hard into a tight 40mph corner, nailed the throttle. I could feel understeer only by the slight scrubbing off of speed but no tire howl, no sidewall tuck and total lack of drama from the chassis.
Halfway through I abruptly let off the throttle and the chassis did; nothing. Absolutely nothing! No wild pitching or bobbing or sudden end-swapping. It just slowed down. Try THAT in your first gen RX-7! I tried it again in another corner; same (lack of) reaction.
Tested braking limits from about 55; stomp the center pedal and hang on. I swore my skull was coming out of my face before I let up. Had to do it twice because I'm not that well versed in anti-lock (O.K., so I was worried about all the junk the wife keeps in the back impacting my head...). Felt like Hyperdrive. In reverse. And I never even hit the anti-lock...
I've raced RX-7's, Mustang V8's, Lotus Europa's, BMW MCoupes and Miata's and driven hard quite a few other sports cars but never have I driven anything as stable and responsive as this- this STATION WAGON! The closest I can come up with is maybe an RX-8; it had the same vice-free and stable personality as the 5 at the limit. Makes sense, really; same DNA.
So tell all your friends, shout it from the rooftops. Forget the uber-expensive German Junkers, plug yourself into a Mazda!
Even if it has sliding doors...
MazDin for cheap speed!
New Cooper Zeon RS3-A's (215's) on the front, still old Goodyear GT's on back; I wanted to wring out the Coopers and see if they were up to spec. Cool-ish night but clear and mostly dry. This old autocrosser (1st gen RX-7, Ret.) felt the need for speed...
Wow! Sure, the stock shocks/struts are worn-out at 80 thou, the sway bar bushings should (and will) be polyurethaned {euthanized} and the stock except for K&N filter engine is strained by the mass it's pushing but... wow! This car is COOL! Pitched it in hard into a tight 40mph corner, nailed the throttle. I could feel understeer only by the slight scrubbing off of speed but no tire howl, no sidewall tuck and total lack of drama from the chassis.
Halfway through I abruptly let off the throttle and the chassis did; nothing. Absolutely nothing! No wild pitching or bobbing or sudden end-swapping. It just slowed down. Try THAT in your first gen RX-7! I tried it again in another corner; same (lack of) reaction.
Tested braking limits from about 55; stomp the center pedal and hang on. I swore my skull was coming out of my face before I let up. Had to do it twice because I'm not that well versed in anti-lock (O.K., so I was worried about all the junk the wife keeps in the back impacting my head...). Felt like Hyperdrive. In reverse. And I never even hit the anti-lock...
I've raced RX-7's, Mustang V8's, Lotus Europa's, BMW MCoupes and Miata's and driven hard quite a few other sports cars but never have I driven anything as stable and responsive as this- this STATION WAGON! The closest I can come up with is maybe an RX-8; it had the same vice-free and stable personality as the 5 at the limit. Makes sense, really; same DNA.
So tell all your friends, shout it from the rooftops. Forget the uber-expensive German Junkers, plug yourself into a Mazda!
Even if it has sliding doors...
MazDin for cheap speed!